Special Features

3. Chiwetel Ejiofor

Chiwetel Ejiofor - Credit: Universal

Yes, from a non-Brit Bond to a -- gasp! -- black Bond? What, the English can’t be as progressive as we Americans are? OK, this casting call wouldn’t be an Obama-style revolution, but it would serve as a pretty strong message that MGM is ready to shake things up. And Ejiofor’s suitability for the part goes beyond the fact that the guy is black. Like Jackson, he brings the value of being relatively unknown, and malleable for it. He’s got artsy cred (Children of Men) and big-production experience (American Gangster). Plus he was born with the accent, and looks sharp in a suit.